The small white cabbage butterfly is the most common butterfly in the Midwest.

Written by

Richard Poffenbaugh
News Journal columnist

Question: What are those small white butterflies that are always flying around cabbage plants?

Answer: It is the adult cabbage butterfly. Another name for this vegetable pest is the imported cabbage worm. As do other butterflies, it has four stages in the life cycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The larva is worm-like and feeds on plants in the cabbage family. Included are cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. ...